This application claims priority of German patent application no. 10 2017 000 996.1, filed Jan. 30, 2017, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The invention relates to an electrical plug connection for electrically connecting a power source, preferably a rechargeable battery pack, in a releasable manner to an electrical work apparatus, wherein the plug connection includes at least one first electrical line for the purpose of transmitting an electrical power and at least one second electrical line for the purpose of transmitting signals. The plug connection has a plug with a plug body and one or more first plug contacts and also a plug socket with first contact sockets, wherein the plug contacts of the first electrical line are arranged within the plug body.
Signal lines which are to be provided separately from the electrical lines which transmit power are required for the purpose of communication between the electronics system of a rechargeable battery pack and the motor controller of an electrical work apparatus. Since the electrical lines have to transmit high currents for power transmission, corresponding line cross sections are provided. The number of electrical lines to be connected via a plug connection leads to a considerable physical size. When working with electrical work apparatuses, large, bulky plug connections are usually detrimental and hinder the work.
It is an object of the invention to provide an electrical plug connection for connecting a rechargeable battery pack to an electrical work apparatus, which is of small construction, can transmit a high electrical power and is mechanically reliably secured in a simple manner.
The object can, for example, be achieved via an electrical plug connection for releasable electrical connection of a power source to an electric work apparatus. The electrical plug connection includes: a first electrical line configured to transmit electrical power; at least one second electrical line configured to transmit signals; a plug including a plug body having an outer contour; a first plug contact; a plug socket having a first contact socket; the first plug contact being associated with the first electrical line and being arranged within the plug body; the second electrical line having a second plug contact; the second plug contact being configured as an external contact in the region of the outer contour; said plug socket having a mating contact associated with the external contact of the plug body; and, the mating contact and the external contact being configured to form a latching connection.
The plug contact between the second electrical line is in the form of an external contact in the region of an external contour of the plug body. As a result, the electrical contacts which are required for signal transmission can be shifted outward from the center of the plug connection, as a result of which the diameter of the plug connection can be kept small. A mating contact on the plug socket is associated with the external contact of the plug body, wherein the configuration is such that the external contact and the mating contact form a mechanical latching connection. Therefore, insertion of the plug into the plug socket of the electrical plug connection according to an aspect of the invention results not only in secure electrical contact-connection with prespecified operator control forces, but mechanical locking of the plug in the plug socket at the same time.
The external contact is arranged on the outer circumference of the plug body in a simple manner for the purpose of transmitting signals, with the result that the interior of the plug body can be used exclusively for the plug contacts for the electrical power transmission.
The mating contact on the plug socket is advantageously in the form of a spring tongue, as a result of which not only is a secure electrical contact-connection between the external contact and the mating contact ensured but, furthermore, mechanical latching is achieved in a simple manner. To this end, it may be advantageous when the external contact has a latching recess, a latching lug on the mating contact being associated with the latching recess. The latching lug is preferably formed by the free end of the mating contact.
In order to ensure simple insertion of the plug into the plug socket, it is provided to form a ramp in front of the external contact in the insertion direction of the plug body. When the plug is inserted, the latching lug of the mating contact slides on the ramp of the plug body, as a result of which the user receives haptic feedback in respect of the extent to which the plug is inserted on account of the increase in the plugging force which has to be applied. The user can easily establish whether the plug is inserted completely into the plug socket. This feedback is provided to the user by a maximum insertion force being exceeded and/or by a negative force (tensile force) which is generated owing to the configuration of the ramp.
The plug body of the plug advantageously has a plug end, which faces the plug socket, and a connection end which is held in a plug housing. A separating plane is expediently formed between the connection end and the plug housing, wherein the connection end and/or the plug housing have coupling fingers which pass through the separating plane. If, in a particular embodiment of the invention, the interior of the plug body and the interior of the plug housing are filled with an injection-molding compound, a mechanical connection is established between the plug body and the plug housing via the injection-molding compound. Since the coupling fingers protrude into the respective other part via the separating plane, a more secure mechanical connection is achieved between the plug body and the plug housing, the mechanical connection also being able to withstand high pull-out forces.
In a particular embodiment, the plug socket has a circumferential wall which delimits a receptacle for the plug body. The mating contact is situated radially outside the receptacle and protrudes, by way of a free contact end, through a receiving slot in the circumferential wall into the receptacle. The physical size of the plug connection can be kept small owing to the mating contacts being shifted radially outward.
The contact end advantageously has a stop tongue which delimits a protrusion of the contact end, which protrusion protrudes into the receiving space. In this way, the protrusion of the mating contact, which protrusion protrudes into the receiving space, is structurally defined.
In an end view of the plug body, the plug contacts of the first lines which transmit electrical power are situated with an offset in relation to one another. Accordingly, the contact sockets are situated with an offset in relation to one another in an end view of the plug socket. Owing to this offset arrangement of the plug contacts and, respectively, of the contact sockets, space is created in the connection region, this space providing a variety of possible ways of connecting the electrical lines to the plug and, respectively, to the plug socket.
The plug contacts are advantageously in the form of contact tongues which interact with contact sockets which are in the form of contact terminals.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the mating contact of the plug socket has a contact region for making electrical contact with the external contact. An opening is advantageously formed in the contact region of the mating contact, as a result of which the electrical contact-connection can be improved.
The contact region advantageously has a highest elevation. The opening determines, by way of its opening edge, an opening area which is advantageously situated at a vertical distance below the highest elevation. When the highest elevation bears against a bearing surface, the opening area of the opening is situated at a distance from the bearing surface. It is advantageously provided that the opening width of the opening is wider than the width of the external contact. When contact is made, the external contact is situated within the opening area in plan view of the opening. The highest elevations of the contact surface, which highest elevations still exist next to the opening, are situated next to the external contact. There is an overlap between the mating contact and the external contact in side view of the external contact.
The external contact has a main body with two longitudinal edges. Since the width of the external contact, which width is measured between the longitudinal edges, is smaller than the opening width of the opening, the longitudinal edges come to bear against an opening edge of the opening at at least one bearing point so as to make electrical contact. In an advantageous embodiment, a bearing point which is at the front in the insertion direction and a bearing point which is at the rear in the insertion direction are provided on each longitudinal edge. Therefore, a total of four active bearing points can be produced, as a result of which good electrical contact-connection with interference-free signal transmission is ensured. When the mating contact slides onto the external contact, dirt and other interference particles are reliably removed, this promoting reliable electrical contact-connection.
The geometric configuration of the opening is provided in such a way that an edge section of the opening edge of the opening bears against the external contact so as to make electrical contact. An edge section of the opening edge which is at the front in the insertion direction and an edge section of the opening edge which is at the rear in the insertion direction preferably bear against the external contact. In this way, two edge sections can be used for reliable electrical contact-connection with interference-free signal transmission.
The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings wherein:
Aspects of the invention are explained below using the example of the plug connection 1 between the connection line 16 and the rechargeable battery pack 2.
The plug connection 1 includes a plug 4 and a plug socket 8. The plug 4 has a plug body 5 and at least one plug contact 6, 7. Two plug contacts 6 and 7 are provided in the embodiment shown according to
The plug socket 8, in which at least one contact socket 9, 10 for the plug contact 6, 7 of the plug body 5 is provided, is associated with the plug 4. Two contact sockets 9 and 10 are provided in the embodiment shown according to
The plug body 5 further has at least one external contact 11, 12 in the region of its outer contour. Two external contacts 11, 12 which are arranged such that they are situated, in particular, diametrically opposite one another—with respect to a longitudinal center axis 68 of the plug 4—are provided in the embodiment according to
The connection line 16 is preferably a flexible line, in particular a plastic-sheathed or rubber-sheathed line. In the embodiment shown, the connection line 16 has first electrical lines 17, 18 for the purpose of transmitting an electrical power. Furthermore, two electrical lines 19, 20 which are used for the purpose of transmitting signals are provided. The first electrical lines 17, 18 are connected to first connection lines 97, 98 of the plug socket 8 via the plug connection 1 for the purpose of transmitting electrical power, whereas the second electrical lines 19, 20 are connected to second connection lines 99, 100 of the plug socket 8 via the plug connection 1 for the purpose of transmitting signals. Contact is made with the first connection lines 97, 98 and the second connection lines 99, 100 at the plug socket 8.
The configuration of the plug 4 is shown in
The plug housing 21 is situated—as shown in
The plug housing 21 has an end side 23 which faces the plug body and defines a separating plane 24 (
The plug housing 21 has an insertion end 32 for the connection line 16. The connection line 16 is provided with a protective tube 33 for the purpose of forming a kink-prevention means. The connection line 16 runs through the protective tube 33 which is provided, in particular, as an articulated metal tube in the embodiment shown. That end 34 of the protective tube 33 which faces the plug housing 21 can be widened before fitting and the outside diameter A of the end can be expanded. In this way, the end 34 obtains an outside diameter A which is larger than an inside diameter I of an end sleeve 22. The protective tube 33 is held in an axially interlocking manner on the plug housing 21 via the end sleeve 22 which is fixed on the insertion end 32.
The end 34 of the protective tube 33 can also be widened in a different way. For example, a stopper—which is preferably provided in the end sleeve 22—can be pushed into the end 34 of the protective tube 33 in order to widen the outside diameter A of the end 34 and in this way fix the end in the end sleeve 22 in an axially interlocking manner—advantageously when fitting the end sleeve 22.
The end sleeve 22 is pushed axially over the insertion end 32, wherein a latching ring 35 which is in the form of a spring ring and latches the end sleeve 22 onto the insertion end 32 of the plug housing 21 in an interlocking manner acts between the insertion end 32 of the plug housing 21 and the receiving section 36. To this end, an external groove 37 is provided in the outer circumference of the insertion end 32 and an internal groove 38 is provided in the end sleeve 22.
As shown in the end view of the plug end 39 of the plug body 5, each plug contact 6, 7 is situated in an associated contact area 46, 47. The contact areas 46, 47 are separated from one another by a continuous separating wall 40. In the embodiment shown, the plug contacts 6, 7, which are in the form of flat contacts, are situated in planes which are parallel to one another; however, the plug contacts 6, 7 are displaced relative to one another by an offset v, as shown in
The configuration of the plug socket 8 is shown in
The plug socket 8 has a receiving space 42 in which the plug body 5 is received. The plug contacts 6, 7 engage in contact sockets 9, 10 which are in the form of contact terminals 43 for receiving the plug contacts 6, 7 which are in the form of contact tongues 41.
Two receiving grooves 44, 45 for positioning ribs 48, 49 (
Owing to the offset v of the contact sockets 9, 10 and, respectively, of the plug contacts 6, 7, enough space is created on the connection side 51, for example of the plug socket 8, in order to be able to use different connection techniques for connecting the electrical lines 17, 18, 19, 20. For example,
The contact sockets 9, 10 are situated in the base of the plug socket 8. The electrical lines 17, 18 are connected to the contact sockets 9, 10 and transmit the electrical power which is required for the purpose of operating the work apparatus 3.
Signal transmission between the work apparatus 3 and the rechargeable battery pack 2 is performed via the second lines 19, 20 which are in the form of signal lines. The signal lines are connected to mating contacts 13, 14. A mating contact 13, 14 of this kind is in the form of a spring tongue 52 and is fixed at an end 73 on the connection side 51 of the plug socket 8 to the base 54 of the plug socket. The leaf spring-like mating contact 13, 14 is situated in a receiving slot 55 of the plug socket 8 which is formed in a circumferential wall 56 of the plug socket 8. The circumferential wall 56 delimits a receiving space 42 for the plug body 5. The mating contact 13, 14 is situated radially outside the receiving space 42 and protrudes by way of a free contact end 58 with a protrusion t through the receiving slot 55 in the circumferential wall 56 into the receiving space.
The external contacts 11, 12 (
The external contacts 11, 12 and the mating contacts 13, 14 are formed in accordance with
Each external contact 11 has a fastening end 60 by way of which the external contact is fixed in the material 57 of the plug body 5. The fastening end 60 preferably has latching teeth 61 which advantageously establish a connection between the external contact 11, which is held in the plug body 5, and the plug housing 21. The other, free end of the external contact 11 forms a fixing lug 62 which engages into an opening 59 in the plug body 5, as shown in
The mating contact has the approximate shape of an L with angled limb ends in side view. The first limb 70 of the mating contact 13 has—as shown in
The angled end 73 of the limb 70 is upright for the purpose of mounting a cable shoe. Furthermore, a further passage hole 74 is provided in the limb 70, a centering pin 75 of the base 54 of the plug socket 8 engaging into the further passage hole.
The contact end 58 is formed at the free end of the mating contact 13. The contact end 58 has an approximate V-shape in side view, as shown in
The stop tongue 77 delimits, together with the housing stop 78, the protrusion t (
As shown in
When the plug 4 is inserted in insertion direction 50, the plug end 39 axially enters the receiving space 42 of the plug socket 8—assuming the plug body 5 is correctly associated with the plug socket 8 in respect of rotation position. The plug end 39 engages beneath the contact end 58, with the result that the contact end can slide onto the ramp 80 and is driven radially outward in arrow direction 64 against a spring force. If the highest elevation of the ramp 80 is reached at the height 81, the rounded contact region 76 of the contact end 58 slides on the outer circumference U of the plug body 5, until the contact end 58 engages into the latching recess 63. The contact end 58 which is situated in the latching recess 63 establishes an electrical connection between the external contact 11 and the mating contact 13 via the contact region 76. The plug is mechanically locked in the plug socket 8 at the same time. The contact end 58 therefore forms a latching lug 66, which engages into the latching recess 63, at the same time.
The plug connection not only establishes a connection between power-transmitting first lines 17, 18, but at the same time a signal connection via two electrical lines 19, 20, in a reliable manner. In the process, the outside diameter of the plug connection can be kept small on account of the arrangement of the contacts.
Furthermore, the invention ensures that the plug is secured in the plug socket 8 in a mechanically fixed manner. The user has to overcome a latching force both when inserting the plug 4 into the plug socket 8 and also when withdrawing the plug 4 from the plug socket 8. By way of example,
A significant force profile in accordance with curve 87 in
The fluctuations in the force profile of the curves 85, 87 shown in
The significant drop in force in curve 85, shown in
In contrast to the configuration of the mating contact 13 in accordance with
The opening 53 can have a round shape. Geometries which differ from the circular shape can advantageously be provided too. A circular shape, an elliptical shape, a square shape or a rectangular shape are preferred. In the case of an ellipse or a rectangle, the larger geometry axis extends in width direction K of the contact region 76.
The function of the opening 53 can be identified in the enlarged illustration of the latching connection 15 between the plug body 5 and the plug socket of the plug connection 1 according to
Owing to the opening 53 in the contact region 76, the external contact 11 of the plug body 5, which external contact is particularly in the form of a plug tongue, is situated in the opening area 79 of the opening 53. The highest elevation 67 of the contact region 76 is situated higher than the opening area 79 of the opening 53. The highest elevation 67 of the contact region 76, which highest elevation is situated outside the opening 53, is situated, in the contacted position according to
The opening 53 in the contact region 76 of the mating contact 13, which is particularly in the form of a contact spring, can, at least by way of a subregion of its opening edge 92, come to bear so as to make contact on the base 69 of the latching recess 63. This is schematically illustrated in
In a simple embodiment, at least the longitudinal edges 82 and 83 (
It may be advantageous to form the opening 53 in such a way that the opening edge 92 rests by way of two edge sections 91 and 93 on the base 69 of the latching recess 63 of the external contact 11 so as to make electrical contact. This is illustrated using dashed lines in
The opening 53 is preferably situated centrally in the contact region 76 of the mating contact 13. As shown in the schematic plan view according to
Further advantageous embodiments are produced by any desired combination of the features of the above-described embodiments.
It is understood that the foregoing description is that of the preferred embodiments of the invention and that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
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10 2017 000 996 | Jan 2017 | DE | national |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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